The Magic finished up last season on April 15, the IRS’s favorite day, appropriately enough. It had been another taxing year.

The club seemingly has had forever to regroup, lick their wounds and take a wrench to Elfrid Payton’s wayward jump-shot. When your playoff dreams die by, oh, Valentine’s Day, it makes for a long, long wait in the lobby.

But a new season will be upon us soon. Maybe -- just maybe – there will be a twinkle of progress in the franchise’s eye. Maybe good ol’ Scott Skiles can bring back hope to his old team and get the best out of a host of youngsters.

So with training camp set to open in a few weeks, we will take a look at every Magic player in our Roster Review.

TODAY: NIK VUCEVIC.

Position: Center.

Season: 5th.

Career to date: Unlike when they lost Shaq, the Magic didn’t need to wait long to find a skilled center after Dwight Howard’s exit. The 7-foot Vucevic, in fact, arrived from Philadelphia in the massive Howard trade in 2012. Last season he continued his steady development, averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game and 10.9 rebounds and shooting 52.3 percent. The Montenegrin is the best all-around offensive center in Magic history, but isn’t yet a true presence defensively (0.8 career blocks.)

2014-15 highlights/lowlights: Vucevic averaged 22.2 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent for the month of February. He posted consecutive games with 34 points and 16 boards and 33 points and 11 rebounds against Portland and Chicago. His rebounding numbers dipped the last two months of the season as he adjusted to the spacing with C/F Dewayne Dedmon on the floor.

Expectations: Making the Eastern Conference All-Star roster is the next step for Vucevic, who received consideration last season despite playing on a losing team. Clippers coach Doc Rivers called him All-Star-worthy, saying he was “the best player nobody knows.” The Magic want Vooch to keep putting up double-doubles and certainly block more shots. Tobias Harris surpassed Vucevic as the team’s highest-paid player. Whether that changes the Harris-Vucevic dynamic will be interesting to monitor.

What’s interesting: Not known as a highlight reel dunker, Vooch posterized the 7-foot Pau Gasol in Chicago with a nifty dribble-drive and powerful, one-handed lefty slam. Uncharacteristically, Nik even stared down a sprawling Gasol afterwards.

Strengths/Weaknesses: He combines an excellent touch away from the basket like a power forward, but can also work efficiently on the low block. He’s a willing passer, posting nine games of four or more assists last season. Coaches would love to see the mild-mannered Vucevic become a consistent physical presence and play with more energy at times. The Magic resorted to inserting journeyman Dewayne Dedmon alongside Vooch to help defensively in the paint.

Vucevic will make the Magic better if he: Gets to the foul line more (only 2.9 attempts per game last season) and picks up his aggressiveness on the defensive end. This will be one of Scott Skiles’ missions, and it will be interesting to see how the quiet, unassuming Vooch responds to any pointed prodding.